


"Can I Have This Dance?"

by impulse_baker



Series: 100 Ways to Say 'I Love You' [14]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Boys In Love, Fluff, M/M, SO MUCH FLUFF, Slow Dancing, oh my god I really did it this time, so this is love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-20
Updated: 2018-01-20
Packaged: 2019-03-06 19:34:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13418169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/impulse_baker/pseuds/impulse_baker
Summary: Dean and Cas are watching Disney movies together, and tonight is Cinderella. Cas has never slow danced before and Dean decides there is no one better to share a first dance with than him.This is love, right?





	"Can I Have This Dance?"

There were a lot of things that Dean had been conditioned to suppress about himself. Whether it was to maintain an outward appearance of toughness, from shame, for self-preservation, or fear, he had learned to keep parts of himself secret.

He knew John had a lot to do with his shame and damaged sense of self-worth, or lack thereof, but recognizing that wasn’t enough. While Castiel never explicitly said anything about it, they both knew that the angel was very aware of the situation. There were little things that he did that were indicative of his love for the hunter, and his attempts at helping Dean achieve self-acceptance. 

Dean considered this as they sat together on the couch watching their fourth Disney movie of the week.

Metatron dumped the plot of every Disney movie up until _Brave_ into Castiel’s head, but they became part of the list of movies that Dean insisted he experience as they were meant to be. They were both more than happy with this. Cas loved movies with happy endings, talking animals, and fairy tales. Dean loved animations and good morals, and Disney always promised a good time.

He didn’t get to watch many of the movies growing up. John didn’t care much for them, and it was a rare treat that he could afford to take Sammy out to the movies, and they didn’t always want to go see a cartoon.

Sitting on the couch with a bowl of popcorn between them felt like making up for lost childhood experiences. Except as an adult, he could equally scoff at and yearn for the fairy tale love or happy ending that the protagonists were promised.

“There is just something I don’t understand.”

“Yeah?”

“Why does Cinderella not take better care to keep the cat separate from the mice? Those are her only friends, after all. How could she be so cavalier over whether her friends will be eaten or not.”

Dean snorted.

“And how could the step mother name the cat Lucifer? If she recognized it to be an evil cat, how could she keep it without thinking that it would reflect on her own character as a villain, to own such a pet?”

“Dude. The lady is a Disney bad guy. Not exactly the standard for a self-aware, sensible character.”

Castiel continued his stream of questions at the logical fallacies of the movie and Dean had the fleeting thought that his angel could have a career in film analysis.

The scene with the royal ball started up, and he chanced a look at the look on Cas’ face. He wasn’t sure how this one was going to go down. It was the big sweet romantic scene of the film, and the other three movies had been interesting, to say the least. When the cheesy love song would start up for the main characters to fall in love to, it never failed to make the angel rock back and forth, ever so subtly. Dean couldn’t be sure if it was the music that was moving him, or the stupidly cute budding romance on screen. It just made him wonder what he was thinking, because these were the only parts when Cas had no questions.

Then the beginning notes were playing, and on screen, Prince Charming was leading Cinderella in a slow waltz.

“Dean? How does she know she is in love already? Must people dance to realize this?” His voice was hesitant, his words came out slowly, like he was calculating each word carefully.

Dean swallowed thickly. “It’s a Disney movie, Cas. They’re dumb, just rushing their lives along.”

This didn’t seem like the right answer.

“But, I uhh, don’t really know. Have you ever danced?”

Without tearing his eyes away from the dance, he shook his head. “No one has ever asked.”

The sigh that followed that statement surged Dean with bravery. His angel deserved to dance. If there was anyone who deserved to know what slow dancing was like, it was Cas. He deserved to be able to watch cliched first dance scenes in movies and know that it wasn’t a big deal.

Except that Dean knew this wouldn’t be _not_ a big deal.

But his mind was made up.

He paused the movie and stood up, pushing the coffee table out of the way, thus clearing a large space for his rash decision.

He approached a squinty eyed Cas and held out his hand with all the charm he could muster while his heart was threatening to hammer out of his chest.

“Can I have this dance?”

His blue eyes went wide, but everything melted away when he nodded and slipped his hand into Dean’s.

“Wait, I just gotta…” He didn’t finish his sentence, and instead started playing the first version of the song that popped up on YouTube. He almost changed it when the first chord was strummed on a _ukulele_ of all instruments. But he wasn’t going to let his masculine reservations get in the way.

“Just umm, put your hands here, and here.” He placed one of his hands on his own shoulder blade and wound his own arm under that to rest on Cas’ waist. Then he joined their hands and held them up shoulder level. They were at a formal distance, Dean not wanting to push for anything more. He was only trying to give Cas an experience that he didn’t have yet. It would be horrible to take advantage of the situation and pull him close like he wanted to.

He began a simple touch-step so that they were doing little more than moving side to side.

“Just follow my lead, ok?”

“Yes, Dean.”

He guided his angel about the room in small pivots and turns and as the distance shrank, Dean’s heart settled in time with their steps. Cas began to hum along to which ever version of _So This Is Love_ was currently playing, heightening Dean’s urge to take that extra step

_“So this is love_

_So this is what makes life divine_

_I’m all aglow_

_And now I know_

_The key to all Heaven is mine”_

 

He could smell the pear and honey shampoo and the faintest traces of the “Love and Sunshine” body wash that he had bought from Bath and Body Works when they passed by the colorful storefront and he saw Cas looking longingly at the bright yellow display. He didn’t technically need to shower or any of those things, but the angel had a penchant for pleasant smells and showers. It was inevitable that Dean would start bringing home little surprises like honey butter lotions, lavender and violet shampoos, and of course, body wash that was supposed to smell like love and sunshine. What better way to describe his angel?

“I didn’t know you knew how to dance.” Castiel said, his voice fond and tender.

“I’m full of surprises I guess.”

“That is the truth. You, Dean Winchester, will never cease to surprise me into utter awe of you.”

Cas sighed out quietly in what sounded dangerously like contentment, and gently rested his forehead to Dean’s. He felt Cas’ hand move to the center of his back, and grip a little tighter, bunching a bit of Dean’s flannel in his fingers.

Dean’s world was reduced to the heat between their hands and the breath lingering between their faces and the weight of Cas’ touch on his back.

Nothing else existed but them and the music and the carpet beneath their bare feet.

It was just Cas and Dean.

Dean and Cas.

Cas and Dean.

The pressure to fight the desire to kiss and be kissed and keep kissing vanished. Dean’s reservations about his feelings towards his angel dissolved, because how could he doubt the absolute love that ebbed between their bodies when he had been thinking of Castiel as _his angel_ for so long now? The fear of loss and rejection and pain and isolation disappeared when Cas let go of their hands and instead chose to wrap that arm around Dean’s neck, and he moved his own hand to find its place low and comfortable on his angel’s hip.

They stopped turning and slowed to a fluid, slow sway, making small progress around the room, but barely moving.

“So this is love.” Castiel breathed, barely above a whisper.

Dean could only nod his head ever so slightly, thankful that Cas could say it. Cas could say it and acknowledge it and take the pressure away from Dean.

Cas knew.

Dean knew.

This was love.

**Author's Note:**

> I have been waiting to write this one from the beginning. I heard [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4NXOQsMJRw) cover of the classic Disney song and knew I had to write something about the boys dancing.  
> I really hope you enjoyed this. I have to go recover from all the fluff. Let me know what you think!
> 
> Previous work: "Sorry I'm Late."  
> Next work: "I Made Your Favorite."


End file.
